Where To Begin

• Although donations can be requested on any type of website or blog, a traditional donation website is created to support non-profit or charity organizations in the funding process. Technically, they are no different from building any other type of site. The following will need to be in place before creating the donation process. A domain name will need to be chosen and purchased, a hosting company will need to be chosen and a hosting plan paid for, and the domain name will need to be added to the new hosting account so that the building of the site can begin.
  
  

Choosing the Website Infrastructure

• There are several different ways to build the framework of a donation website---through a web designer, through a template purchased via the hosting site or a reputable online designer, or through a predesigned website package. Each requires varying levels of knowledge and skills to implement. If you are a first-time site builder, asking for help is advisable. A few companies, including Charity Advantage and Thank You For Your Support, provide full donation-site packages available for purchase online. Investigate these thoroughly to make sure they are what your organization needs. A donation website does not need to be complicated.
  
  

Types of Donation Sites

• "Click to donate" sites that are designed specifically to generate funding through pay-per-click advertising will require careful planning of ad placement and constant tweaking and awareness as to changes in advertising methods. Donation through online stores works by designing sellable items like coffee mugs, T-shirts, hats, reusable grocery bags and other like items, and putting them up for sale. This type of site requires a secure shopping cart and checkout process just like any retail site would. Donation sites can also be linked to auction sites like eBay where nonprofit activities are supported through eBay's "Giving Works" program. This type of donation site will be created within the eBay system but should be linked to a stand-alone website branded with your organization's message. The most direct type of donation site is the one requesting a specific dollar amount. This type of site will need a secure payment process.
  
  

The Donation System

• The ability to interact with a potential or returning donor is at the heart of a donation website. Making the donation process fast, easy and secure is important. Outlining the various ways an organization wants to encourage the donation process is necessary. Will it be a series of suggested amounts? Will it allow for donating change? How about donating goods and services? A simple shopping cart can be utilized to create a series of donation products ($25, $50, $100) or categories. A very fast way to implement a donation system is to create a PayPal account and use its button builder to create the payment code for each donation type. Placing these buttons on the donation website is a secure way to gather donations. An existing merchant account can be used, too, but it will need to be an Internet-based merchant account (check with the processor of the account), properly interfaced with the account holder's bank system and reinforced with Internet security measures.
  
  

Building Traffic with Content

• In order to build donations the website must be seen, and this means building traffic. Traffic is generated via content and advertising. Content is what distinguishes a website during the search process, and it keeps the potential donor on the site and interested in helping. Charitable organizations need to outline and lay before the viewer consistent and concise content about who the charity is, who or what it is advocating for, and why and how the viewer should donate. Photographs, personal stories and funding event listings are an excellent way to convey the need for funding.
  
  

Building Traffic with Advertising

• A search engine is the cheapest form of advertising, so optimizing for the search process is vital to being found by donors. Content should be search engine optimized and keyword rich for the appropriate topics. Once ready for viewing and used by the public, the donation site should request search engines to index its site. An additional advertising budget for click-through advertising placed on other sites should be explored. Include a broad range of advertising products---images and text---and review their ability to generate donations on a regular basis.